The hospitality industry
Every large hotel has many teams working round the clock to ensure that all the operations take place smoothly. These teams are managed by extremely capable managers in different leadership roles. Let's look at a few people involved with running a hotel.
General Manager (GM): The GM is at the top of the hierarchy in a hotel's management. The GM's role is to ensure maximum customer satisfaction. To make that possible, the GM makes sure that services provided follow a well-defined system that caters to predetermined quality standards. The main role of GM is to oversee the recruitment of staff, advertising agencies, brand builders, complaints, planning for fewer or more visitors, expansion plans and financial and budget reviews.
Director Of Finance (DOF): The DOF reports to the GM. The DOF supervises the finance department, is involved in budget planning, makes adjustments for unexpected challenges, manages the hotel's relationship with its bank to ensure a steady cash flow and handles tax compliance, foreign exchange, salaries and so on.
Resident Manager (RM): The RM is someone who resides on the hotel property. The RM is responsible for supervising all the daily activities of the hotel such as customer service, reservations and front desk operations and ensures that the property is well maintained. The RM along with the front office manager, verifies the paperwork of guests and liaisons with the local police station for international travellers, monitors security cameras and ensures general security in the hotel. At times, when the GM is unavailable the RM manages all the activities. Another important responsibility is to make sure the property's goals are met without exceeding the budget.
Purchase Manager (PM): The PM attends to all the procurement requirements to ensure the hotel functions smoothly. The PM is actively involved in obtaining competitive quotations for hotel requirements and ensuring that the best products are sourced and purchased. When the purchases are delivered, it is this person's responsibility to check and approve the delivered items. The PM also keeps track of the stocks and verifies the pending orders daily. Since this person handles the purchases, he or she works with the finance department by providing information about rising prices to make accommodations in the hotel's budget plan.
Front Office Manager (FOM): The FOM supervises the front desk operations, ensuring that the customers can check in with ease. The FOM also handles customer complaints, provides clear instructions to front desk personnel and ensures proper accounting of customer details. The FOM is generally the first person the customer meets and is thus the face of the hotel. Since the FOM interacts with customers daily, his or her inputs are crucial in the hotel's marketing activities and development plan. The FOM's duties also include handling cash, checking the cash for counterfeit notes and handling credit.
Sales Manager (SM): The SM reports to the GM and is responsible for proactive direct sales, marketing, telemarketing, direct mail, appointment calls and tours of the hotel. This person stategises on how to boost sales and revenue for the hotel.
Executive Chef (EC): The EC is in charge of the kitchen and hence the food that is served to customers. This person's culinary responsibilities include designing new recipes, planning menus, selecting plate presentations, taking stock of food and equipment supplies and obtaining feedback on the food. The EC is also involved in hiring, training and supervising staff and ensuring hygienic practices are followed in the kitchen at all times.
Hotelier in focus: Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi
Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi, the founder of Oberoi Group of hotels, began his illustrious career in the hotel industry as a front desk clerk at the Cecil Hotel in Shimla. His hard work resourcefulness and ability to take on additional responsibilities earned him a promotion as the Manager of the hotel and allowed him to gain first-hand experience by operating a newly acquired hotel, the Clarke Hotel. His business acumen soon saw the hotel reap huge profits and that was the beginning of his acquisitions. He was the first Indian hotelier to enter the international market and opened the first modern five-star hotel in the country. The Oberoi Intercontinental in New Delhi opened in 1965. From then on, he revolutionised the hotel industry through many of his initiatives. In 2001, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan.
